The present invention is directed to a connector for the removable connection of an end of a neck strap to a pair of binoculars or similar optical device.
Binoculars have a neck strap that is connected with its ends to the left and right of the binoculars and permits the binoculars to be carried hanging in front of one""s chest when they are not in use, so that, to be used, they can be conveniently grasped and raised with one""s hands.
However, there are a number of applications, e.g., in the nautical field, where the users prefer to set the binoculars down instead of carrying them in front of their chests. In these applications the strap is considered more of an interference, so that it would be desirable to be able to remove it.
Customarily, to fasten the strap to the binoculars, it is guided through two spaced-apart slits that are provided on the binoculars and fixed. If one wishes to remove the strap, this is relatively laborious and re-attaching the strap to the binoculars is even more laborious.
Based on this, the invention has as its aim to create a connector of the above kind, which not only permits the implementation of a removable connection in principle, but also makes the connection and disconnection process so simple to perform that it can be carried out without difficulty and without any instructions. Furthermore, a connector of this type shall be designed such that it is also easily possible to retrofit conventional binoculars.
This aim is met according to the invention with the end of the strap having an attached clip incorporating two legs that can be elastically opened in a V-shape and that have inward facing holding projections on their insides, wherein a holding part with a lug is provided on the binoculars or the like, said lug incorporating snap-in projections that extend laterally toward the outside in a manner so that the legs can be snapped onto the lug in such a way that their holding projections encompass the snap-in projections of the lug, and wherein a retention sleeve is provided, the free interior cross-section of which is dimensioned such that it can be slipped over the legs when they are in their snapped-on position, thus preventing the legs from opening.
With this design it is possible to simply snap on the clip of the connector and securely anchor it by means of the retention sleeve.
In this context the design preferably provides for the retention sleeve to elastically lock into place behind a snap-in projection so that an unintentional disconnection is reliably prevented, even if the connector is subjected to heavier stresses.
Operating ribs that are provided on the outside of the retention sleeve facilitate its use.
The clip advantageously has on its top a cutout through which the neck strap is threaded, so that the neck strap can be connected to the clip in a manner known per se.
To provide for an easy retrofitting with an inventive connector in such a way that two spaced-apart slits are provided on the case of the binoculars or the like in a manner known per se, the holding part is form-fittingly insertable into the upper slit in the case, as viewed when the binoculars are in use, and a fastening part is form-fittingly insertable into the lower slit, as viewed when the binoculars are in use, in such a manner that the holding part and the fastening part are interlockable by means of a snap-in connection. Specifically, a snap-in projection of the fastening part may snap into a snap-in cutout of the holding part when inserted, causing the parts to be fixed relative to one another and relative to the case.
This inventive design thus takes advantage of the fact that slits are customarily provided on the case through which the straps are guided for direct attachment. By using a simple snap-in process, a conventional case of this type can be provided with a connector according to the invention.
The invention is described in detail below, based on a preferred embodiment in combination with the drawing.